One-piece or two-piece panty-type garment,and process and fabric suitable for making such garment

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO PANTY-TYPE GARMENT (FOR EXAMPLE, PANTY OR PANTY GIRDLE), WHICH IS CONSTRUCTED IN A NOVEL MANNER, UTILIZING ONE OR TWO PIECES OF FABRIC. THE FABRIC IS OF WRAP KNITTED CONSTRUCTION, AND IS CONSTRUCTED TO HAVE INTEGRALLY KNITTED PARALLEL SELVEDGES OF ONE-WAY STRETCH, ELASTIC CONSTRUCTION. IN THE FINISH GARMENT, ONE OF THE ELASTIC SELVEDGES FORMS THE WAIST BAND, AND THE OTHER ELASTIC SELVEDGE IS CUT AND SEWED TO FORM LEG BAND ELASTICS. A DESIRABLE, BODY-CONFORMING SHAPE IN IMPARTED TO THE GARMENT BY UTILIZING, IN THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF, CUT SECTIONS OF THE WRAP KNITTED MATERIAL IN WHICH THE END EDGES AER PROVIDED WITH CONCAVE ARCUATE CUTS EXTENDING DOWNWARD AND OUTWARD FROM THE UPPER EDGE. WHERE LARGE BODY SIZES ARE TO BE ACCOMMODATED, A SEPERATE CROTCH PIECE IS INCORPORATED IN THE GARMENT CONSTRUCTION, EXTENDING IN THE FRONT-TO-BACK DIRECTION. THE CROTCH PIECE, LIKE THE MAIN FABRIC SECTION, IS OF WARP KNETTED CONSTRUCTION AND HAS INTERGRAL ELASTIC SELVEDGES. IN THE CASE OF THE CROTCH PIECE FABRIC, HOWEVER, BOTH OF THE ELASTIC SELVEDGES ARE THE SAME AND CORRESPOND TO THE LEG BAND SELVEDGES OF THE MAIN OR BODY FABRIC SECTION.

L. SARMIENTO Oct. 19, 1971 ONE-PIECE OR TWO-PIECE PANTY-TYFE GARMENT,AND PROCESS AND FABRIC SUITABLE FOR MAKING SUCH GARMENT Filed May 12,1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 7

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. LOUIS SARM IENTO BY 777M ATTORNEYS Oct. 19, 1911 L, R N O I3,613,119

ONE-PIECE OR TWOPIECE PANTYTYPE GARMENT, AND PROCESS AND FABRIC SUITABLEFOR MAKING SUCH GARMENT Filed May 12. 1970 3 Sheets$heet 2 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. LOUIS SARM IE NTO ATTORNEYS Oct. 19, 1971 SARM|ENTO 3,613,119

ONE-PIECE 0R TWO-PIECE PANTY-TYPE GARMENT, AND PROCESS AND FABRICSUITABLE FOR MAKING SUCH GARMENT Filed May 12, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 80FIG. 8

INVUNTOR. LOUIS SARM l ENTO WMM MM,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,613,119 ONE-PIECE 0R TWO-PIECEPANTY-TYPE GARMENT, AND PROCESS AND FABRIC SUITABLE FOR MAKING SUCHGARMENT Louis Sarmiento, Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., assignor toInternational Stretch Products, Inc., New York, N.Y. Continuation-impartof applications Ser. No. 10,770, Feb. 12, 1970, and Ser. No. 21,409,Mar. 20, 1970. This application May 12, 1970, Ser. No. 36,552

Int. Cl. A41b 9/04 US. Cl. 2-224 A 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe invention is directed to a panty-type garment (for example, panty orpanty girdle), which is constructed in a novel manner, utilizing one ortwo pieces of fabric. The fabric is of warp knitted construction, and isconstructed to have integrally knitted parallel selvedges of one-waystretch, elastic construction. In the finished garment, one of theelastic selvedges forms the waist band, and the other elastic selvedgeis cut and sewed to form leg band elastics. A desirable, body-conformingshape is imparted to the garment by utilizing, in the constructionthereof, cut sections of the warp knitted material in which the endedges are provided with concave arcuate cuts extending downward andoutward from the upper edge. Where large body sizes are to beaccommodated, a separate crotch piece is incorporated in the garmentconstruction, extending in the front-to-back direction. The crotchpiece, like the main fabric section, is of warp knitted construction andhas integral elastic selvedges. In the case of the crotch piece fabric,however, both of the elastic selvedges are the same and correspond tothe leg band selvedges of the main or body fabric section.

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is closely related to andconstitutes a continuation-in-part of the copending application of LouisSarmiento, Ser. No. 10,770, filed Feb. 12, 1970 and entitled Panty-TypeGarment and Process of Making Such Garment, and Ser. No. 21,409, filedMar. 20, 1970, entitled Warp Knit Fabric Adapted Especially for theManufacture of One-Piece or Two-Piece Panty-Type Garments. Thefirst-mentioned application relates to a pantytype garment, particularlyof one-piece construction, utilizing a section of warp knit fabric,constructed to include integral elastic selvedges having one-Way stretchcharacteristics. A section of the thus-constructed fabric is secured toform a tube, in which one elastic selvedge forms a waist band and theother forms leg bands. The leg band selvedge is sewed together in thecrotch area to form separate leg-encircling elastics. Thesecond-mentioned copending application relates principally to theconstruction of a unique warp knit fabric, incorporating integral one-Way stretch elastic selvedges and a two-way stretch body area. It issuggested that reference be made to the related copending applicationsfor a fuller appreciation of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the copending Sarmiento application Ser. No.10,770, it is disclosed that a novel and improved panty-typ garment canbe constructed utilizing a single, substantially rectangular section offabric from a continuous or substantially continuous knit web ofcombination fabric. The garment thus disclosed has extraordinaryadvantages in respect of the savings realizable in the manufacturethereof from a single piece of fabric rather than, more conventionally,from a number of pieces of fabric and sections 3,613,119 Patented Oct.19, 1971 ice of elastic. The present invention is directed to the makingof further improvements on the above disclosed garment construction,particularly in the direction of imparting more conventional andtherefore (in the market place at least) more desirable contours to thegarment. The more conventional contours are particularly desirable foradult garments.

One technique for achieving the above-stated objective involves cuttingfabric sections from the basic web in a configuration in which theelastic selvedge eventually intended to form the leg band elastics is ofsubstantially greater length than the elastic selvedge eventually toform the waist band elastic. When the respective end edges of the fabricsection are sewed together, in accordance with the basic teachings ofthe Sarmiento application Ser. No. 10,770, the garment is oriented sothat the area of the seam constitutes the rear or seat portion of thegarment. This gives a greater fullness to the seat area and imparts amore conventional configuration to the garment. As will appear, thesecured-together edges of the fabric section may, in desirable cases, becut with a deep arcuate shape to provide substantial fullness to theseat portion of the garment.

For the larger sizes of adult garments, it may be desirable to introduceincreased front-to-back fullness in the crotch area of the garment. Tothis end, the present inven tion provides for incorporation of a secondpiece of fabric in the garment. The second piece, referred to therein asa crotch piece, is constructed in accordance with the beforementionedSarmiento application Ser. No. 21,409 to have integral elasticselvedges, having effective one-way stretch characteristics, and anintermediate body fabric, integrally associated with the selvedges andhaving two-way stretch characteristics. Whereas, in the main fabricsection, the elastic selvedges have different constructions to providedesirable waist band and leg band characteristics, the elastic selvedgesof the crotch piece are of the same construction and, moreover, are ofthe same construction as the leg band elastic selvedge of the mainfabric section. In the construction of the two-piece garment, inaccordance with the invention, the main fabric section is formed into atube, in the usual manner, but the front and back sections thereof arenot secured together in the crotch area as is customary in the one-piecegarment. The special crotch piece is then inserted, extending in thefront-to-back direction. The elastic selvedges of the crotch piececonnect the leg band selvedges of the main fabric section and form partof the leg band elastics in the finished garment.

In either of the above-described forms of the invention, major economiesmay be realized in the manufacture of the garment, as compared toconventional garment construction techniques using multiple components.

One of the important advantages realized in the construction of thegarment utilizing the principles of the present and the above-mentionedcopending applications, resides in the almost perfect color matching ofthe various components. With the one-piece garment, for example, it willbe readily understood that all portions of the garment necessarily willhave been processed and dyed simultaneously, resulting in optimum colormatch throughout the garment. This is extremely difficult to achievewith conventional garment construction, inasmuch as the elasticcomponents are constructed and processed separately from the bodycomponents, and even the waist band and leg band elastics may be givenseparate processing.

In the construction of two-piece garments according to the invention,optimum color matching may still be realized even though the garmentincorporates two sections of fabric, each derived from a separate fabricweb. This is realized by simultaneously warp knitting, on a singlemachine, a plurality of fabric webs, from which both the main fabricsection and the crotch piece are derived. The separate webs are knittedsimultaneously on a side-by-side basis and are connected together by atemporary stitch construction formed as part of the knitting operation.The multiple-component knitted web is processed and dyed while thecomponents thereof remain secured by the temporary stitching.Thereafter, the individual web components may be separated and cut intosections for assembly into garments. However, the finished garment willbe characterized by an optimum color match of the components, by reasonof the simultaneous processing.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made tothe following detailed description and to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a section ofcombination fabric cut in an advantageous manner for the construction ofa contoured one-piece or two-piece garment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first construction stage of a onepiece or two-piecegarment according to the invention, utilizing a fabric section of thetype shown in FIG. 1, oriented inside-out for ease of fabrication.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a one-piece garment constructed inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a special crotch piece constructed inaccordance with the invention and intended for incorporation in atwo-piece garment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a two-piece garment constructed inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4,illustrating the construction of the two-piece garment of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of multiple componentwarp knit fabric constructed in accordance with the teachings of theinvention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a section of combination fabric suitable forthe construction of a modified type of onepiece garment according to theinvention.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a one-piece garment constructed withthe fabric section of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now tothe drawing, and initially to FIGS. 1-4 thereof, the reference numeral10 designates generally a section of warp knitted fabric as constructedin accordance with the Sarmiento application Ser. No. 21,409. The fabriccomprises a body portion 11 constructed to have two-way effectiveelasticity, and elastic selvedge portions 12, 13 constructed to haveone-way elasticity. The effective elasticity of the selvedges 12, 13 isin the warp (lengthwise) direction, while the eflective elasticity ofthe body portion 11 is both lengthwise and widthwise. As explained inthe copending application, the fabric 10 is knitted in substantiallycontinuous lengths and is so constructed that, in its relaxed condition,the courses, or transverse rows of stitches, have a generallystraight-across disposition.

In the cutting of a garment section from a Web of knitted fabric, thelength of the elastic selvedge 12 is set to correspond to a desiredwaist size of the garment. In accordance with the invention, the elasticselvedge 13, from which the leg band elastics are formed, is cut to asubstantially greater length than the waist band elastic. Thus, in theillustration of FIG. 1, the leg band elastic is approximately 40% longerthan the waist band elastic, although it should be understood that thereis considerable latitude in this relationship within the teachings ofthe invention.

At each end, the cut fabric section has deep arcuate cuts 14, 15. Thesecuts extend vertically downward through the waist band elastic 12 andthen curve downward and outward until they connect with cut edges 16,17. The

edges 16, 17 extend vertically upward through the leg band elasticselvedges 13 and for a short distance beyond. Desirably, the dispositionof the arcuate cuts 14, 15 is at a relatively low angle to thehorizontal in the region where the cut edges 14, 16 and 15, 17 join. Aswill be observed in FIG. 1, the cut of the fabric section 10 issymmetrical.

In the formation of a garment from the fabric section 10, the fabric isfolded along a vertical midline 18, so that the arcuate cut edges 14, 15overlie each other, as shown in FIG. 2. The arcuate cut edges are thensewed together along a seam 19. The vertical cuts 16, 17 are, however,left temporarily unsecured. Adjacent to the folding line 18, the fabricis cut upward through the leg band selvedge 13, as indicated at 20. Thecut 20 terminates at a point 21 on the midline which is calculated toprovide a total cut edge length (considering both front and back edgesof the fabric section shown in FIG. 2) that will equal the combined edgelength of the cuts 16, 17. The cut 20 may be a single cut, madevertically along the midline 18, or may be offset therefrom so as toremove a small section 22 of fabric, substantially as illustrated inFIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, the tubular garment pre-form whichresults from the making of the seam 19, is developed into a completedone-piece garment by refolding the garment to bring together the cutedges 16, 17 with the cut edges 20. These are sewed together along aseam 23, as reflected in FIG. 4. This joins the front and back portionsof the fabric in the crotch area and completes the crotch constructionof the garment. At the same time, the seam 23 joins together theopposite ends of the individual section 13a, 13b of the leg bandselvedge 13 to form separate, leg-encircling elastics.

In normal practice, the garment is sewed up while in an inside-outorientation. Accordingly, after the sewing operations have beencompleted by forming the seams 19, 23, the garment is turned rightsideout. The finished garment, shown in elevational view in FIG. 3, hascontours characteristic of a more conventional, multiple componentgarment with the edges 14, 15 providing a contoured fullness appropriatefor the seat portion of the garment. Nevertheless, the garment of theinvention is constructed of a single piece of fabric and requires onlytwo easily constructed seams to complete its manufacture.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5-7, while incorporatingmost of the inventive substance of the garment of FIGS. 1-4, is oftwo-piece construction to impart improved contours to garments intendedto fit larger body sizes. In general, the garment of FIGS. 5-7incorporates a main body section 40 constructed in the manner of thefabric section 10 of FIG. 1 and cut to have arcuate edges 44, 45 joinedtogether along a seam 49, all corresponding generally to the edges 14,15 and seam 19, of the garment of FIGS. 1-4. However, while the bodysection 40 is provided with edges 46, 47 and 50, corresponding to theedges 16, 17 and 20 of the fabric section 10, these edges are notsecured directly together, as in the garment of FIGS. 14. Rather, inaccordance with the invention, a special crotch piece 51 is secured inthe garment to join the front and back crotch portions of the bodyfabric section 40 in spaced relation.

As an important aspect of the invention, the crotch piece 51, shown byitself in FIG. 5, is constructed by manufacturing techniques closelycorresponding to those utilized in the construction of the main bodyfabric sections, 10 and 40. That is, the fabric is of warp knit construction, preferably made on a raschel machine. It is constructed tohave selvedge portions 52, 53, having oneway (lengthwise) effectiveelasticity, and an integral body portion 54, having two-way effectiveelasticity. The fabric is constructed in webs of substantial length, andthe webs are then cut transversely to form the individual crotch pieces51.

In the construction of the body section 40, it is usually desirable toimpart different characteristics of elasticity to the respectiveselvedge portions 42, 43, inasmuch as, in the finished garment, theselvedge 42 constitutes a waist band elastic and selvedge 43 constitutesa leg band elastic, and different characteristics usually are desired toaccommodate these somewhat different functions. In the case of the warpknit web material of which the crotch pieces 51 are formed, however, theelastic selvedge portions 52, 53 are of the same construction and havethe same elastic characteristics. Moreover, the construction and theelastic characteristics of the crotch piece selvedges 52, 53 aredesigned to be the same or substantially the same as the constructionand elastic characteristics of the leg band selvedge 43.

In the construction of the garment, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the crotchpiece 51 is cut to have end edges 54, 55 which correspond in length tothe edges of the body section 40 to which they are secured in thefinished garment. Thus, the edge 54 corresponds in length to thecombined length of body section edges 46, 47, while the edge 55corresponds in length to the edge 50 of the body section. Typically, theend edges 54, 55 of the crotch piece may have an arched or similarconfiguration, whereby the center portions of the crotch piece are ofgreater length than the selvedge portions. The garment of FIGS. 6 and 7is constructed by first joining the edges 44, 45 along the seam 49, toform a tubular garment preform. The crotch piece 51 is then securedalong a seam 56, which joins the edges 50, 55 and also along a seam 57,which joins the edges 46, 47 to the edge 54. The elastic selvedges 52,53 of the crotch piece are joined to the respective leg band selvedgeportions 43a and 43b to form complete leg-encircling elastics.

As will be appreciated, the two-piece garment of FIGS. 6 and 7 retainsin great measure the extraordinary economic advantages of the one-piecegarment construction of FIGS. 1-4, while providing for somewhat greaterflexibility in garment design, adapting the garment particularly for thelarger adult sizes. The crotch piece 51 may be incorporated into thetwo-piece garment by simple seaming operations, and includes integralelastic selvedges corresponding to the leg band elastics of the mainfabric section. Thus, even in the two-piece garment, the usuallytime-consuming and difiicult operations of sewing the waist band and legband elastics to the body fabric are avoided.

One of the substantial advantages of the one-piece garment constructionis, of course, the fact that the conventional difiicult-to-impossibleproblem of achieving a proper color match between the body sections andthe elastics is entirely avoided. This is an important commercialadvantage, inasmuch as proper color coordination seems to have adefinite effect on sales price. In accordance with another aspect of theinvention, this important advantage is retained even in the two-piecegarment construction of FIGS. -7 through the side-by-side, simultaneousknitting of all of the component elements on a single knitting machine,and the subsequent simultaneous processing of the fabric components.Desirably, simultaneous processing is carried out through at least thedyeing operation and (typically) throughout all of the processing stagesincluding dyeing and finishing and up to the point where the fabric isready to be cut into garment sections.

In a typical raschel knitting machine, there is a widthwise capacitywhich is greatly in excess of the height of the body fabric section 40.Accordingly, in a typical commercial operation, one knitting machine canbe arranged to construct, simultaneously, a susbtantial number of websof the main garment fabric. The webs are constructed in side-by-siderelationship, and adjacent webs are connected by a temporary stitchwhich may be easily removed at the desired time to completely separatethe individual webs. The techniques for accomplishing this are, ingeneral, well known in the knitting art.

In accordance with the present invention, a single warp knitting machinewill knit a plurality of adjacent, tem- 'porarily connected webs 60 fromwhich the main fabric sections 40 are to be derived, and will, inaddition, construct a web 70, also temporarily connected into the webstructure, and from which the crotch piece sections 51 are derived. Aswill be apparent from the drawing, the overall length of web materialrequired to form the body section 40 of the garment is much greater thanthat required to form the crotch piece 51. Accordingly, the knittingmachines desirably are set up to knit a number of the main webs 60 foreach web 70 of crotch piece material, the ratio of one to the otherbeing substantially in accordance with the relationship of the length ofone to the length of the other (e.g., seven or eight webs 60 for eachweb 70). In this manner, all of the main fabric sections 40 and crotchpiece sections 51 for a production batch of two-piece garments of thetype shown in FIGS. 5-7 can be derived from a single combination web ofmaterial produced by a single warp knitting machine. This combinationweb, designated by the reference numeral in FIG. 8, is processed atleast through the dyeing stage, and typically right up through thefinishing stages in its combination form, after which individualcomponents of the two-piece garment are assured to have optimum colormatch. Typically, the color match achieved in the manufacture of atwo-piece garment in accordance with the invention, should be superiorto that achieved even in very high priced garments of conventionalconstruction, because the practical difficulties of achieving closecolor match in a variety of individually processed components make itdifficult indeed to achieve substantial perfection within therestrictions of an economically realistic pricing structure.

In the modified garment construction of FIGS. 9-10, an extremely simpledesign concept is provided, which is suitable for either one-, ortwo-piece garment constructions. In the modification, a fabric webhaving integral elastic selvedges may be cut into main fabric sections81 of trapezoidal shape, to provide a waist band elastic 82 of shorterlength than the leg band elastic 83, while providing essentiallystraight line end edges 84, 85. The edges 84, 85 may be joined along aseam '86 to form tubular garment pre-form, and a crotch structure may beformed in the manner set forth in the above-mentioned Sarmientoapplication Ser. No. 10,770. The garment may also incorporate a separatecrotch piece of the general type shown in the garment of FIGS. 5-7hereof, if desired to provide for additionl fullness.

It will be understood, of course, that the specific forms of theinvention herein illustrated and described are intended to berepresentative only, as certain changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly,reference should be made to the following appended claims in determiningthe full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A contoured panty-type garment having a waist opening, a crotch, apair of leg openings, and elastic waist and leg bands, which comprises(a) a single section of warp knitted fabric having a stretchable bodyportion and longitudinally extending integrally knitted one-way elasticselvedges,

(b) said section of fabric being oriented such that its longitudinallyextending elastic selvedges are disposed to extend transversely of thegarment to form an elastic waist band portion and elastic leg bandportions,

(c) said elastic selvedges being disposed in initially straight, spaced,parallel relation throughout the entire length of said fabric section,

((1) said fabric section having arcuately cut concave end edgesextending downward and outward from the upper edge of the waist bandelastic to a point above the elastic leg band portion and near the upperedge thereof,

8 (e) said arcuately cut end edges forming matching, 3. Acontoured,panty-type garment according to claim overlying arcuate edges when saidfabric section is 1, further characterized by folded in half uponitself, said means for joining comprising a seam directly join- (f) saidarcuately cut end edges being sewn together ing said edges.

in a continuous seam extending from the upper edge 5 4. A contouredpanty-type garment according to claim of the waist band elastic to saidpoint, 1, further characterized by (g) said fabric section being severedupwardly midsaid body portion being of two-way elastic construcwaybetween its end edges, from a level at the bottion. tom of said elasticleg band portion to a level in said Referen e Cited body portion aboveand near the upper edge of said 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS elastic legband portion, formlng severed edges, and (h) means for joining the endedges of said fabric, 1,513,750 11/1924 Dolan 2224 below said point, tosaid severed edges to form sep- 2,519,534 8/1950 ATtZt 66-477 X aratetubular leg portions, each including an integral 3,226,731 1/ 1966 Terry2224 1eg encircling elastic band BOySen et a]. (i) the arcuately seamedportion of said garment pro- 2,114,004 4/ 1938 Relnthalviding contouredfullness appropriate for a garment 2,147,169 2/1939 Mendel et seatportion Sinigaglicsi. 2. A contoured panty-type garment according toclaim 3,177,875 4/ 1965 Garson- 1, fi g 'd r ii a riz fii d n'ng comr's' g t h 20 FOREIGN PATENTS a sa1 e 1 1 p1 in a croc piece extendingbetween and joining said severed edges to 1455456 9/1966 France 2 224the portions of the end edges below said point, 89 81 12/1953 Germany 273 (b) said crotch piece comprising a normally fiat, warp knit fabricsection having integral one-way elastic 25 HAMPTON HUNTER PrimaryExammer selvedges corresponding to said elastic leg band por- U.S. Cl.X.R. tions. 2874 H

